240

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

publicity services aimed at projecting Hong Kong's image to the British public including the Chinese community in Britain, and generally to look after the interests of Hong Kong students and residents in Britain.

ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Such bodies as the Board of Education, the Medical Advisory Board, the Social Welfare Advisory Committee, the Labour Advisory Board, the Trade and Industry Advisory Board, the Housing Board, the Transport Advisory Committee and many others of a similar nature, constitute effective consultative and advisory machinery which enables unofficial opinion to be brought to bear on policy formation. In addition to unofficial members of both Executive and Legislative Councils, members of the public are appointed to many boards, councils and committees.

URBAN COUNCIL

The Urban Council consists of a maximum of 26 members, six ex officio, 10 elected unofficial members and not more than 10 unofficial members appointed by the Governor. The term of office of an unofficial member (which term includes both elected and appointed members) is four years. Of the ex officio members, the Chairman (who is appointed by the Governor) is usually the Director of Urban Services Department, while the Vice-chairman is the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services in charge of the health division of that department. The other ex officio members are the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Director of Public Works, the Director of Social Welfare and the Commissioner for Resettlement.

The Council meets monthly though most of its business is dealt with by 17 select committees which meet at frequent intervals. The chairmen of all select committees are unofficial members, who are in the majority in all such committees.

The main responsibilities of the Council are sanitation and hygiene, licensing and inspection of food premises and factories, offensive trades, bathhouses and laundries, running of markets and abattoirs, licensing and control of hawkers, management of cemeteries and crematoria and control of funeral parlours,

Share This Page